In this review, we will be comparing 702 S3 Signature and Silver 500 7G, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-300watts
- Weight:35.26kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 44-13/16" x 7-9/16" x 13-15/16" ( 1138.0 x 192.0 x 354.0mm )
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer
- 3" Midrange
- 27-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 90.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:80-250watts
- Weight:22.53kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 42-11/16" x 12-11/16" x 15-7/16" ( 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm )
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both 702 S3 Signature and Silver 500 7G are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature |
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 3-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
702 S3 Signature features a 1" Carbon Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer . On the other hand, the Silver 500 7G features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with Uniform Dispersion (UD) Waveguide II Tweeter , a 3" Midrange and 2 x 8" C-CAM RST II Woofer .
Frequency Response
702 S3 Signature has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas Silver 500 7G has a frequency range of 27-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Silver 500 7G can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 702 S3 Signature's min frequency of 46Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature
Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
702 S3 Signature and Silver 500 7G have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 702 S3 Signature sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Silver 500 7G's is at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G a more sensitive speaker compared to Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
702 S3 Signature can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Silver 500 7G has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the 702 S3 Signature.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 702 S3 Signature and Silver 500 7G features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 702 S3 Signature and Silver 500 7G have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature's and Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G's external dimensions. Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature has external dimensions of 1138.0 x 192.0 x 354.0mm ( 44-13/16 x 7-9/16 x 13-15/16inch) whereas Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 323.0 x 393.0mm ( 42-11/16 x 12-11/16 x 15-7/16inch) .
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature is 131mm narrower and 39mm less deeper than Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G but it is also 53mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature is approximately 679.7cm2 / 105.4inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G is approximately 1269.4cm2 / 196.8inch2. The 702 S3 Signature requires 46% less surface area than the Silver 500 7G which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.